big john Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) Hi Baldilocks (see you in a few weeks no doubt?) Trials folk - buy bikes, clobber, helmets, parts - pay money to see trials riders perform? (err....let me think about this..no not really, main exception is Sheffield, world round at Fort William you paid, but levels were quite low and in Europe not all venues charged to get in to watch) Motocross folk - buy bikes, clobber, helmets, parts - pay money to watch them race - yes you bet, folk do every weekend! Road Racing folk - buy bikes, clobber, helmets, parts - pay money to watch them race? - you bet, folk do every weekend! Motocross/Racing = spectator based sport Trials = for enthusiasts only, don't really want to pay to get in to watch, pay grudgingly when they do and moan about the expense for weeks after. Been tried many times, usually failed over time. Motocross/racing = expensive to take part Trials = not so expensive to take part All equally enjoyed by all who do take part and are part of it. Let's all hope they all continue...hopefully we are not all banned for doing it (like fox-hunting!) Big John (I'll shut-up now!) Edited April 17, 2012 by Big John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cynical Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 Sure it's been said before ... But wouldn't a trials biased competition TV show (even on less popular networks) work to improve the overall image of trials to the general population, ala Kickstart in the 70's and 80's, even if Purvis couldn't do it !!! It is such a shame that participation has apparently wained, the sport sure does suck you in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Returning to the original stop/non-stop thread. I feel the whole problem has been amplified by the development of the bikes. Don,t you think a little thought about,limits on tyres, weights,suspension and power could be the answer?. Riders stop because they can stop and pull away again. A little less grip and stopping is suddenly not so attractive. It would be good to see the Makers and Governing bodies talking about this. Regulate the bikes, and I feel the stop/non-stop issue will go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalley250 Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in sequins. Maybe it's time trials broke away from ACU and create its own union that's sole interest is trials. Who decided on the new rules? Did riders have input as they seem against the new/ very old format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 I'm very against the reversion to old rules for just the elite six events, the British championship on a closed cicuit should be a spectator event more than any other trial, I doubt alot of the comments above have been made by people who have attended more than the odd event recently, if at all. The last few I have been to have had many riders and families watching, because they want to watch our countries best tackle some big stuff. The success or otherwise cannot be measured on numbers as last year there was a limit on riders (3 rounds over subscribed) so what is the measure of whether it works or not? I would say that if Dibs cleans 35 of 36 sections and finishes 3rd, the severity is wrong. As for the comparison with previous scores at this round the c o c clearly got the severity very wrong at that event and it has nothing to do with any version of the rules, moreover it was events like that which speeded the demise of entries. Until the ACU/clubs promote the events properly they will not be a shop window to our sport which they should be under whatever set of rules. Perhaps enabling James Fry for example to loose 50 odd on the top route is a good thing, but can someone explain why? I would feel much more comfortable if someone had set out the criteria for a rule change and how success/failure could be measured, otherwise the argument will go round in circles for a very long time. I also think that with Riders like Sheppard Challoner Richardson not there (why?) it diminishes the validity of the championship and tdn qualification should be via the BTC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 (edited) Trials IS a participation sport, people watching buy naff all..... Sorry but that is nonsense. People watching DO buy ... but that aside, when I say it can be made more spectacular what I mean is it can be made more interesting to ride and more interesting to watch. To me its simple. You cant spend years allowing a certain set of skills to be developed based on extreme balancing/splatting etc and then totally discard most of it. So what I can imagine, is a way of taking those skills and using them in new ways. You only need to watch Bou in practice to see him do a few cool flip turns in the air etc to think of ways of incorporating them into a section. It would take it to another level and move on from the new(old) style of no-stop. The only thing that would hinder it is having the terrain to be able to produce sections like this, but im sure it would be both exciting to ride and exciting to watch. IMHO Edited April 17, 2012 by AtomAnt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 I also think that with Riders like Sheppard Challoner Richardson not there (why?) it diminishes the validity of the championship and tdn qualification should be via the BTC. Don't know about Sheppard...Challoner, think he was in Italy, Jonathan Richardson was at the event and rode in practice but he wasn't happy with his knee which he has had operated recently so didn't ride the Sunday. Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telecat Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Both Jack's ride for "foreign" teams who signed them due to the talent they showed at Euro and World level. I don't think the BTC rates high on their events list. I suspect that Both would like to run when other events allow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Trials = for enthusiasts only, don't really want to pay to get in to watch, pay grudgingly when they do and moan about the expense for weeks after. Doesnt this sum up Trials riders attitude to every aspect of their sport? A mate of mine who is snowed under with work, classic bike fabrication and modification, doesnt even bother with Trials riders nowadays as "they never have any money and always moan about the cost of everything whereas Moto cross and Road Racers know the value of stuff and know they have to pay for it. Never make a living dealing with trials riders!" his words but i know where he is coming from and cant disagree. Dont get this obsession with "promoting" trials and trying to make it a spectator sport. It never was and seeing how long it's been going if it was ever going to be a cash cow for a promoter or a "job" then dont you think it would have been by now? Dont see that theres owt wrong with it as it is. (appologies for spelling or grammar) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 (edited) Can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in sequins. Maybe it's time trials broke away from ACU and create its own union that's sole interest is trials. Who decided on the new rules? Did riders have input as they seem against the new/ very old format. Fantastic, I've been waiting for this opportunity - I'll do it! But, myself and my immediate family will own 100% of the company that will run the organisation plus the promotions company that underpins it. I will accept remuneration i.e. a salary of £50,000 per annum plus expenses plus Directors fees. I will hand pick the management team (formerly called ACU Trials Committee) and the company will formulate the rules with the assistance of importers and riders from a variety of abilities. Observers and officials will still run the clubs for no payment , staff events as before and who will subscribe to the new organisation and pay the company a management fee/subscription. Sounds like a great plan (to me anyway!) Big John (Moffat Racing Inc. - owners of UK Trialsport) Edited April 17, 2012 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02-apr Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 I wasn't there this year but last year, on the "hard" sections, I witnessed several riders who found themselves still in the early part of a section when their minder alerted them to the need to get the finger out or suffer a time penalty. They seemed to have no bother cleaning the rest of the section at a fair old clip, much faster than one would ride a no-stop section normally, so perhaps there is room for CoC experience to adjust severity as the season goes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Both Jack's ride for "foreign" teams who signed them due to the talent they showed at Euro and World level. I don't think the BTC rates high on their events list. I suspect that Both would like to run when other events allow. why do they not rate high enough? Remind me where sheppard rode? Would jack ride btc if it were tdn qualification? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telecat Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 why do they not rate high enough? Remind me where sheppard rode? Would jack ride btc if it were tdn qualification? Because the "Foreign Teams" have them contracted for their Domestic Series and the Euros and Worlds. If the BTC does not interfere then I expect they will make the journey and John will support them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalley250 Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Lets make it twin shock and regress the sport totally. People who watch give or get involved MX is proof of this. However the back to good ole days is not going forward, its plain dumb to go backwards as thats the problem with the sport currently suck in time. Martin Lampkin gave us the great indoor trials and maybe he and Dougie should be the people the ACU should consult to promote the sport. Non stop fine for the historical trials SSDT n Scott. Venues lend them selfs to this un like most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02-apr Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Lets make it twin shock and regress the sport totally. Good idea - twinshock MX seems to be booming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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